


In the Night - Ep7

by Grasshopper01



Series: Sidney Would Rather [6]
Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M, smut with a little bit of borrowed plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:00:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26694913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grasshopper01/pseuds/Grasshopper01
Summary: Things never seem to go the way Sidney intends for them to. Just here to help him out....sorta.A series of loosely connected one-shots.Sidney gets a chance to continue the "best and truest self" conversation.
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Series: Sidney Would Rather [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1872961
Comments: 39
Kudos: 95





	In the Night - Ep7

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this took **entirely** too long to write. 😅
> 
> This fic has had me on the struggle bus for _days_.
> 
> Now, it's turned out to be the longest single chapter/one shot I've written. And fair warning - 85% of it is smut. 
> 
> Enjoy! 😉

Sidney quietly let himself back into Trafalgar House. It was late. He should have already been asleep in his room at the Crown, but he had not been able to settle. He had sat down for a couple drinks with Babington and Crowe, but his mind had been elsewhere. He had finally excused himself to his room but, there, he had tossed and turned for a long while, before finally giving up and going out to walk, hoping the crisp night air would help clear his thoughts. Alas, it hadn't helped his mind all that much, and his feet had obviously had a mind of their own, leading him here.

Sidney sighed heavily as he walked into the study and dropped into one of the chairs near the hearth. He laid his head back, exhausted. He probably should have turned right around and headed back to the hotel. But he knew why he was here. It felt good to be near her. He looked up at the ceiling, knowing she was just upstairs.

He wondered if she was sleeping. He wondered what she thought about what he had said. That's all he seemed to be able to do since they parted - wonder.

All evening he had replayed their conversation. Well, if one could call it that, he thought, uneasy. He had done most of the talking. 

Had he said too much? Did speaking of his best and truest self sound pompous? 

Conversely, had he not said enough? Would she have balked if he said he loved her? 

And then...he was trying to give her time and space, but perhaps he should have stayed? 

He didn't know what to think, anymore. He was overjoyed with how he knew he felt. He only wished it could be morning so he could see Charlotte, talk to her, talk _with_ her, learn _her_ thoughts and feelings. 

Sidney sighed...again. He was so tired. His body was tired, but tense. His mind was tired, but continued to whirl. He ran a hand roughly back and forth through his hair and down his face, praying for a truce within himself.

He wasn't sure how it was possible to feel so addled and happy at the same time. But here he was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sidney woke but, still drowsy, didn't open his eyes right away. He tensed, disoriented for a brief moment, before remembering where he was. Carefully, he reached up to rub away the terrible crick in his neck. 

His eyes opened slowly. It was still dark. He didn't recall falling asleep, and it didn't feel like he had been asleep very long. He lifted his head and looked down at the fire. It had been banked when he came in, but it had dwindled some. Maybe he had slept an hour? Two?

Sidney shifted in the chair and started to pull himself up, when he heard a soft gasp. His eyes flew to the direction of the sound, and widened to find Charlotte sitting in the chair opposite his. 

She looked equally startled, although she had to have known _he_ was there. Why was _she_ there?

Sidney took her in from head to toe. Well, not to her toes...she had her legs tucked under herself in the chair. But the rest of her...her hair was full around her face, her eyes gleamed in the remaining fire light, and she wore a robe over what he could only imagine was her nightgown. His breath caught in his throat.

He shook his head slightly. “Charlotte. What are you doing here?”

She gave him a shy smile. “I could ask you the same.”

Sidney huffed out a laugh. “Yes. Well, I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk and ended up here.”

Charlotte's smile grew. “Well, that is uncanny. The same thing happened to me.”

Sidney looked at her. He held her gaze and she held his in return. He felt like they sat like that for a long time. Finally, she shivered, breaking the spell, and pulled her robe closer around herself and tucked her feet in tighter.

“You’re cold. Let me find a blanket.” Sidney looked around.

He pulled himself out of the chair and walked over to the sofa, picking up the blanket draped over the back, and brought it back to Charlotte. He placed it over her and leaned down to tuck it around her middle. Charlotte’s hand trailed down his forearm as he proceeded to push the blanket in around her legs. The intimate gesture put him in such close proximity to her. Their faces were mere inches apart when he looked into her eyes. He watched as her eyes roamed over his face, rested on his lips for a moment and then came back up to flit back and forth between his eyes. “Thank you.” 

Sidney felt her breath on his face. He took a trembling breath, himself. “You’re welcome.”

Sidney straightened up and walked back to his chair. He sat, and regarded her quietly before asking, “You couldn’t sleep?”

Charlotte took a deep breath and shifted in her chair, turning fully toward him. She fiddled with the edge of the blanket for a second before answering. “No. You...well...you gave me a lot to think about.” She arched an eyebrow at him.

Sidney’s lips quirked up at the corners. “So I did.” He mirrored her posture, turning to her. He continued, hesitantly. “And, uhhh... did you come to any conclusions?”

Charlotte smirked. “Well, you flatter me. To think that a girl such as I could inspire such a brute to be his best and truest self - that is high praise, indeed.”

Sidney smiled, chagrined. “On the contrary, it is because you are extraordinary that a brute such as I would be so compelled to change." 

His expression shifted, opened, filled with admiration. "And you are _the most_ extraordinary woman I have ever known." He looked down briefly, overwhelmed, but then looked back up, continuing, "And I want to be a better man. For you."

Sidney continued to watch her, even as he swallowed thickly, trying to dislodge the lump that was forming in his throat. He could feel the tears gathering, his whole being suddenly feeling the impact of the vast emotions of the day. He dropped his head, willing himself not to completely lose his grip on himself. 

He sat, breathing heavily, when he felt her fingers brush ever so lightly over his hair. He looked up quickly, surprised to find her standing before him, touching him. She had tears in her own eyes, and that did him in. He felt a tear spill over onto his cheek. 

He felt her hand come down to his cheek, her palm was warm against his face. And then she stepped in to him and drew him against her. 

Sidney's arms came up around her middle. He pressed his hands to her back, as he rested his cheek against her front. He could feel she had set back to stroking his hair with her fingertips, long strokes from the top of his head to his nape. He had never felt so cared for. 

When Sidney had calmed, he pulled back slightly and looked up. Charlotte was watching her fingers as they continued to thread through his hair. She made no effort to move away. 

Sidney knew this was right. So, when their eyes finally met…

"I love you."

Her fingers stilled and he heard her gasp. Her eyes snapped to his and began to blink rapidly, as they filled with tears. Happy tears, he hoped to God. 

Then she smiled, and gave a little laugh. 

But she still hadn't said anything. Sidney searched her eyes, and then with every ounce of himself he could give her, he repeated, "I love you, Charlotte."

Her eyes closed, as she sighed. And when she opened them again, he could see they were shining. "And I love you."

Sidney laughed softly, his whole body releasing all the tension he felt he had been holding onto all his life. His head fell forward onto Charlotte's soft belly and her hands cradled his head against her. 

Suddenly, she stilled. He looked up at her quickly and saw a slightly shocked look cross her face.

Sidney tried to think, to discern what might have changed, only to realize his hands had moved down from her back and were trailing, up and down the back of her thighs, brushing her bottom. 

Sidney pulled back quickly, giving Charlotte space. "I am so sorry, Charlotte."

She shifted back and forth for a second before she looked down. "No. Don't be sorry. I was just surprised."

Sidney watched her hands that had taken to twirling the tie of her robe around her fingers, nervously. 

Then she looked back up and met his gaze. "I didn't want you to stop."

_Oh._

Sidney felt heat rush over him, as he moved carefully back to the edge of the seat. He held out his hand, and Charlotte took it. She allowed him to pull her forward, into the juncture of his thighs. He felt her lean into him, and heard a soft sigh escape her lips.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, letting her scent fill him and her nearness steady him. 

Slowly, he raised his hands back to her waist. He let his fingers press into the fabric of her robe, and then firmer still until he knew he was pressing into the soft flesh underneath.

He heard her soft whimper. Her hands had come up to his shoulders and he felt her fingers grip him. He looked up at her face, half in shadow, her lips parted, eyes closed, and felt himself harden. 

He wanted her closer. 

"Charlotte."

Her eyes fluttered open, and he backed into the chair, taking her hands in his.

"Sit with me."

She moved with him, and he pulled her onto his lap, a deep breath filling his lungs as she settled in. Her head nestled into his shoulder, he cradled her back with one arm, her bum seated on his thigh, her legs laid across him.

Sidney reached up and pushed her hair away from her face, his eyes taking her in. His thumb stroked her cheek, and then her jaw, tipping her face up to his. His fingers slipped into her hair. He leaned in and brushed her lips with his.

Her lips parted slightly, and Sidney sucked her lower lip between his. Charlotte made a little noise in her throat that he thought was the most delightful sound he had ever heard, and then he felt her shift into him, her hand coming up to wrap around his forearm. 

He kissed her, slowly, his fingers in her hair, as he held her, angling his lips across hers. His tongue licked at her lips until she opened for him and his tongue could sweep in to play with hers. 

Their mouths moved, open, against one another. They took each other's moans into themselves. 

Sidney's arm tightened around her back as they kissed, and he felt her hand move up his arm, until she had her hand at his nape, fingers clutching the hair at the back of his head. They clung to one another, as their kisses turned nigh on desperate.

Sidney's mouth finally left hers to nip along her jaw with his teeth. He would press his teeth gently into her skin and then lick over it with the tip of his tongue. The whole time, he could hear Charlotte's little moans and whimpers in his ear, letting him know she was very much enjoying what they were doing. He continued down her neck, pressing his open mouth to her silky skin, until he reached the collar of her robe. 

The barrier seemed to break through the haze of desire he found himself lost in, however, and he paused. 

He pressed his face into her shoulder breathing heavily. He could hear Charlotte's breaths coming in little gasps, when she whispered, "Please don't stop."

Very reluctantly, Sidney pulled back. His chest continued to rise and fall with the effort, especially with Charlotte's protests, "No, no, no, Sidney, please…," fanning against his face, as she tried to stay close to him.

But Sidney managed to put some space between them, so he could search her face. His hand combing through her hair, and then settling against her cheek. He wanted nothing more than to continue kissing her, touching her. But they couldn't go on like this unless he was certain _she_ was certain. He looked at her questioningly. "Are you sure?"

Charlotte blinked slowly, and pulled up, never breaking his gaze. She put both arms around his neck and shifted in his lap.

Sidney tried to sit back further in the seat, unsure what she was doing. If she kept moving around on him, she was bound to notice the bulge that was straining against his breeches. 

But then, any concern he had about frightening her flew right out the window, when she repositioned herself to sit astride him, her knees on either side of his thighs and her bum resting on his legs. 

Sidney drew in a sharp breath in surprise, his hands moving to grip the arms of the chair. He watched her, the eagerness he had been trying to keep a hold on, engulfing him once more. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips, before sitting back again. 

"Charlotte?" He watched, mesmerized, as she reached for the belt of her robe.

"Sidney." Charlotte never took her eyes off of his. "I don't want you to stop." And she untied the belt, shrugged the robe off her shoulders, and let it drop to the floor behind her. 

The nightgown underneath left very little to the imagination. The neckline was wide and very low, with much of her shoulders and chest exposed. The v cut into the front was held with a tie that fell between her breasts. He could see her nipples were hard against the thin fabric.

Sidney was overcome. And he was sure she must be able to feel him trembling. He could see his hand shaking as he reached up to trace her collarbone. 

His fingers skimmed over her skin. He took his time, reveling in the feel of her skin under his fingertips, the sound of her quick breaths filling the air. 

It wasn't long before he could feel Charlotte pressing into his hand. Her eyes had gone closed, her head back slightly. Sidney leaned in, and pressed a kiss to her neck, so delicate and soft. She whimpered his name, her arms circling his neck.

Sidney's hands came up around her, and held her to him as he settled them back into the chair. 

His lips moved up along her neck until he took her panting mouth with his. They kissed, tongues rolling. They sucked and licked. Sidney moaned into her mouth when she bit his lip.

Soon they were both a frenzied mess in each other's arms. 

Sidney's hands moved under the hem of her nightgown, pushing it up until her bum was naked in his hands. He caressed the soft skin, as Charlotte moaned. 

Suddenly she tore away from his lips, pulling back slightly, and it was Sidney's turn to chase after her mouth. But she pressed a hand against his chest.

Sidney halted with a groan, but waited and watched, eyes hooded and hazy, as Charlotte reached up and took the tie of her nightgown between her fingertips and pulled slowly until the bow came undone. He watched her run her fingers under the edge of the nightgown and slip it off her shoulders. 

Sidney could hardly bear it. He brought his hands back around and fingered the fabric between them for a moment, before pulling it down ever so slightly. He pulled until the top of the nightgown caught on her nipples, causing Charlotte to gasp at the sensation. He gave one more tug, and the fabric fell from her breasts. He didn't think he had ever done or seen anything so arousing in his life.

Charlotte leaned into him, crying out, as his hand came up and closed around her breast. He circled her nipple with his thumb, around and around, until Charlotte rose up on her knees to kiss him. Sidney took that opportunity to let his other hand wander back to her bum, squeezing and drawing her closer to him, raising her further up so that her breasts were level with his face.

Sidney swore reverently, watching his hand tease her nipples, before flicking his tongue out to lick one, then the other. Her body jerked against him with pleasure.

Charlotte’s hands came up to grip the hair on the back of his head. Sidney looked up to watch her as he moved from one hard peak to the other, and moaned loudly to find her watching him pleasure her breasts. He licked a nipple lavishly, flicked it with his tongue and then sucked it fully into his mouth, causing her fingers to flex in his hair as she whimpered, “Sidney...oh God…don’t stop.” 

So, Sidney spent a very satisfying few minutes being as accommodating as possible - worshiping Charlotte’s breasts in every way he could think of, until she was trembling so much in his arms that her legs could no longer support her and he let her slide down his chest, kissing and sucking his way back up to claim her mouth, open and wet. 

Breaking the kiss, Charlotte whispered, “Sidney, I love you so much…,” and pressed herself further into his chest and down into his lap, drawing a groan from Sidney when he felt her press briefly against his cock, rock hard in his breeches. Sidney reached around and grabbed her bum, pulling her fully against him, causing them both to moan with desire.

Sidney could feel how warm she was against him, even through his breeches. He could only imagine how wet she must be. And in that instant, it became all he could think of. He slid one hand around from her round bum to her thigh. He trailed his hand up and down her thigh, coming closer and closer to the curls between her legs, until he brushed her with his fingers.

Charlotte gasped.

Sidney pressed his lips to hers at the same moment his fingers pressed through the curls and found her practically dripping wet. He choked back a groan against her mouth and pressed his forehead to hers, breathing harshly. 

"Charlotte, you are so wet.” His fingers slipped easily into her folds, gliding back and forth. His thumb found her swollen nub and her hips bucked uncontrollably.

She rode his hand, crying out against his mouth as he slipped one, then two fingers inside her, still circling her clit with his thumb. 

Sidney could feel her walls beginning to tighten on his fingers. She pressed into his hand, taking his fingers deeper into her. She whined into his mouth, and he whispered back, "Yes, that's it. Take what you want, love." And she did.

Sidney smiled into their kiss, as her tongue swept against his, her arms locking behind his neck to pull closer to him, as her hips rocked on his hand in his lap. 

Sidney continued rubbing and stroking in and out, and soon felt the shift, felt her movements begin to stutter. She was no longer kissing him, but gasping against his mouth. He could feel her walls beginning to flutter, so he pressed in, his fingers finding the sensitive spot just inside, and the flutters soon gave way to spasms that shook her from the inside out. "Yes!" Sidney growled out, as her walls clenched around his fingers and her nub pulsed under his thumb in wave after wave, until she collapsed against him.

He held her as the tremors of her orgasm slowed. He removed his hand from between them, wiping it on the leg of his pants. He put his arms around her and held her against his chest, listening to her breathing slow. He kissed her, softly, murmuring, “You're so beautiful.”

They must have been sitting like that for a few minutes, when he felt her fingers begin to trace patterns across his chest and trail down his shirt, making his stomach muscles twitch in anticipation. He breathed in sharply when he felt her pull his shirt loose from his breeches. 

"Charlotte…"

He felt her lips press against his neck under his ear, before she whispered, "You said to take what I want." She nipped the soft skin where she had kissed and then lifted his shirt to lay her palms flat against his naked chest. 

Sidney watched as she explored him under his shirt, her fingers trailing down until she reached the hair that disappeared into his breeches. He could hardly breath. He was praying she wouldn't touch him any lower, because he would likely embarrass himself. But her fingers did, in fact, inch lower.

"Charlotte, please…" He was practically whimpering.

Charlotte never took her eyes off of her fingers that were swirling through the hair above his fall. "There is _more_...right?"

Sidney almost choked, but managed a short laugh, and a "Yes."

Charlotte's finger stopped at the top of the fabric, and then tucked under the edge. "Then I want more."

"Fuck…" The crude word slipped out under his breath before he could stop it. His hands fumbled with the buttons while he watched Charlotte watching him. Her hands roaming over his stomach while he worked his breeches down. 

He had thought for a moment that being free of his confines would be a relief, but he soon discovered a curious Charlotte was a particularly delicious torment, where his cock was concerned. She made a very thorough study of his length, until he felt liquid bead on the tip, which she found very intriguing, indeed.

That was all Sidney could take. He reached down and took her hands in his. He drew her up, bringing her flush against his chest. Charlotte gasped. 

Sidney locked eyes with her as his hands moved to grip her hips and brought her mound directly against his cock. He pulled, and his length slid into and along her folds, her wetness coating him quickly. 

He guided her back and forth, letting her rub herself languidly against him until he sensed her urgency building. She was beginning to pant and plead. '"Ooo...Sidney...p--please…"

At that, he pulled her hips high up against him and whispered against her lips, "I can't wait to be inside you." 

Guiding her with his hands, he lowered her to him, letting her feel the tip of him at the entrance to her body. 

Carefully he eased her down, his cock slipping in. He pushed in, then pulled out, before pushing in further, slowly filling her. A low groan rumbled through him when he was finally buried fully inside her. 

He pressed his lips to hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth to begin a slow dance with her tongue, as his hands set up a maddening pace of raising and lowering her on his cock, her walls clinging to his length, as she moved up and down on him.

Charlotte quickly found a rhythm, and Sidney let her ride him up and down several times, before slowing her down, and finally bringing her down on him, holding her flush against him. He could feel the tip of his cock touching her as deep as he could go. He shivered. He pressed his mouth along her jaw to her ear. "You feel so good on me, love." Charlotte whimpered. 

His mouth moved down her neck, licking and sucking. He leaned his head down and nipped the top of her breast and then soothed the spot with his tongue.

All the while, he could feel his cock throbbing inside Charlotte's tight walls. She had taken to squirming on him. But she had said she wanted more, and he had at least a little more in store. 

Sidney reached under her thighs and raised her up, causing her to shift her weight back to her knees, and his cock to pull out until just the tip remained inside. 

His hands moved up along her backside, his fingers squeezing one round cheek, while his other hand came up to splay across the smooth skin of her back.

Sidney shifted under her just a bit, letting the tip of his cock move in her ever so slightly, making her gasp. He felt her try to press down on him, but his hand gripped her ass tighter, keeping her raised up, and exactly where he wanted her. Moaning at the sight before him, Sidney placed a kiss right in the valley of Charlotte's breasts.

Charlotte moaned, as well. A lot. Because Sidney nipped and licked and sucked her breasts until her fingers pulled at his hair and she struggled against his arms and hands that kept her poised on the tip of his cock. He held her fast until she begged him to fill her. 

Only then did he loosen his hold, and Charlotte sank down on him, crying out, her walls clenching around him instantly, in orgasm. Sidney grabbed her hips and held her against him, rolling his hips up into hers, her tight walls causing his cock to throb and spill deep inside her.

Sidney sank back into the chair, trembling, with Charlotte draped, boneless, on top of him. They were both panting.

Sidney closed his eyes, focusing on matching his breathing to Charlotte's, as he ran the fingers of one hand up and down her naked back. Slowly, their bodies and breaths calmed. 

Sidney felt Charlotte stir against him. He looked down into her eyes. He smoothed her hair away from her face. Her eyes closed in contentment, as she whispered, "I love you."

Sidney leaned down to kiss her slowly and fully. Then he pressed kisses to her nose, cheeks, chin, forehead, before saying, "And I love you."

They stayed as they were for a while longer, until Sidney finally pulled them upright in the chair. His cock had long since softened and slipped from her body, but Charlotte remained nestled against him, in his lap.

No longer in the midst of heated lovemaking, he saw her shiver, and glanced over to see the fire had dwindled considerably. 

Sidney rubbed her arms with his hands. "Let's get you dressed," and he helped her with her nightgown and robe. 

Sidney stood, tucking in his shirt and fastening his breeches, then pulling Charlotte into his arms once more. She looked up at him with a gleam in her eye and asked, "So, do you think you'll be able to sleep, now?"

Sidney chuckled. "Oh, I'm extremely content now. No doubt, I will have a good night's sleep...what's left of it."

Charlotte hummed into his chest. "I suppose I need to try to sleep, as well."

"Yes, you do." Sidney leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, "Good night, Charlotte. I love you."

She smiled. "Good night. I love you, Sidney."

She turned, and he watched her go. But he stopped her before she made it to the hall. "Charlotte!" She turned at his voice. "I'm going into town in the morning. I'll stop by to see if you need anything."

A small smile played on her lips. "I have a dress fitting. Perhaps I'll walk with you." 

Sidney nodded, with a smile. "It would be my pleasure."

**Author's Note:**

> So. I really don't know how I feel about this one. It totally felt like it went off the rails and developed a mind of its own. But I had to put it out here.  
> I do love it for what it is...I'm just not sure how I feel it fits with my inspiration for this series.  
> I think it's because this one was a bit heavier, smut-wise. 😂 But with actual "I love you's," I think that's ok. And Sidney and Charlotte are both very strong personalities that play off each other, and I _think_ (read: _hope_ ) I was able to do that a bit of justice with the smut.
> 
> Anyway!  
> Perhaps I'll come back to it again later, but for now, I hope you all enjoyed it! ❤
> 
> As always, comments welcome and appreciated. ❤
> 
> PS I know "town" is literally around the corner, but I just went with it, to tie in some dialogue from the show. 😉


End file.
